Ranil to attend a day long hunger strike campaign in Valikamam

Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe, is to participate in the Valikamam North Hunger Strike Campaign against the Security Forces’ occupation of civilian houses and lands.

The Leader of the Opposition Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe will participate in a day long hunger strike protest campaign to be held on 15th of this month, organized by the Valikamam North People Resettlement Committee.

According to reports Mr. Ranil Wickremasinghe is said to be participating in the protest campaign to show his and his Party’s opposition to the Security Forces for not releasing houses and lands belonging to the people of the Valikamam North region.

The Democratic People’s Front Leader Mano Ganeshan, who is also billed to participate and the UNP Leader Ranil Wickremasinghe will arrive in Jaffna to personally to participate in the protest campaign and to register their opposition to Security Forces for the illegal occupation of the lands and houses belonging to the civilians, according to the organizers of the protest campaign.

The Valikamam North Peoples Resettlement Committee with the view to strongly objecting to the Security Forces occupation of lands and houses belonging to civilians of the area, has organized a day long hunger strike protest campaign on the 15th of this month, at the Tellipalai Durgai Amman Temple premises.

Tamil National Alliance, Democratic People’s Front, National Fishermen Coordination movement, Northern Province Fishermen Alliance, and opposition United National Party have rendered their full support for the campaign and have also expressed their willingness to participate in the Campaign.

Security Forces seen newly demolishing houses in the peripheral areas.

Nearly 24 Grama Servaka Divisions are coming under the Valikamam North region and so far houses and lands occupied by the Security Forces are still not released, even more than three years after the conclusion of the armed conflict with the separatist Tamil Tigers, despite repeated appeal by displaced persons individually and collectively.

Since of late, intentions of the Security Forces became apparent when those houses located just outside the fences of the security zone border areas were being newly demolished and new fences are being shifted further and erected encompassing the new areas where houses outside the earlier security zone were standing until recently.

It is believed the recent acts of the Security Forces was a clear indication that they have decided to dug in permanently without any sign of vacating the houses and lands belongs to the civilians of the area.

Asian Tribune was unable to verify the authenticity of the allegation of the shifting and the erection of new fences as repeated attempt to contact Army spokesman failed.